It's no secret that the weather is changing. The air is crisp, the leaves are falling and the sun has made a few less appearances. With the turn of the season we also notice a change in our body - especially our skin. The moisture in the air is disappearing and vitamin d is scarce and our skin starts to suffer. Dry, itchy, chapped and scaly are just a few of the symptoms we encounter. Here are ten essential ways to combat the dry weather and keep your skin hydrated:​Dry Brush - Before getting in the shower, dry brush in an upward motion towards your heart! This is a great way to slough off dead skin, release toxins and increase circulation. Getting the blood flowing to dry skin is essential.

Shower - The hot water in your shower really depletes the moisture in your skin, so while a hot shower feels so good, turn the temperature down just a bit. Be mindful of the shower products you're using. Use a shower gel that is natural and doesn't contain Sulphates or Parabens. Essential oils can stimulate and boost the immune system and decrease inflammation. Try a few drops of our Harmony Blend on a washcloth, or on the floor of your shower.

Body Moisturizer - Moisturizing your entire body in a rich body butter is key and during the winter months, twice a day is necessary. Morning and night, apply a generous amount of body butter and really massage into the skin for best results. Add a little more effort to the extra dry parts like elbows and feet. Try our RE9 Advanced Firming Body Cream, This luxurious cream deeply nourishes the skin with hydration, formulated with red algae extract, to smooth the appearance of dimpled skin and promote a shapelier-looking silhouette.

Face Moisturizer - Our faces need a little more TLC. The skin on our face is more sensitive and is exposed to more of the elements. Start by using a gentle cleanser. The harsh ingredients in soap or deep cleansers can strip away moisture instantly. Your skin actually feels tight after using a non-gentle cleanser. The Advanced Smoothing Facial Cleanser is a perfect way to remove dirt and makeup without stripping the skin of moisture. After cleansing, immediately apply a serum. A serum quenches the skin with immediate moisture. You can layer by applying directly and then following up with a moisturizing lotion, or you can add a few drops to your moisturizer and apply in one step. Choose a moisturizer that works for your skin that is not drying. Adding a moisture booster like Rejuvenating Cream can add extra healing agents to extremely dry skin.

Mist - Keeping a facial mist handy is a life-saver. After coming in from the cold, spray a few pumps of mist directly to your face for an instant burst of moisture. This is an easy way to keep the skin hydrated and refreshed all day. Facial mists are also great for plane trips where the air in the cabin is really dry.

Lips - Even if you're drinking a lot of water, lips get chapped. Our lips are sensitive and exposed and therefore need an extra barrier of protection. A natural lip balm rich in Shea butter is the best way to nourish and soothe lips. Apply throughout the day and before bed.

Hair - Our hair can really take a beating during the dry months. Try using a thick, creamy Hair Revitalizing Masque to really hydrate the strands. After washing, apply masque directly and wrap in a towel. Leave on for as long as you can and then rinse. Try our color safe Pure Vibrance shampoo and conditioner that are free of parabens, sulphates and artificial fragrance. With Hawaiian white ginger, white tea, and sage it leaves your hair manageable and silky.

Water - Drink more water! This is a no-brainer. We have to hydrate the skin from the inside out. If your body is dehydrated and the air is dry, your skin is really going to suffer. Add lemons and grapefruit slices to your water for an extra boost of Vitamin C. It is recommended to drink half your body weight in ounces!

Humidifier - Investing in a good humidifier can be a game-changer. Waking up in the morning during the cold, winter months can feel terrible. Alleviate the dry air by putting moisture into the air. The maintenance of a humidifier can seem like a pain, so invest in one that is germ-free and really easy to keep clean like the ones listed in this article.

During the colder months, try not to avoid the outdoors. It's important to still find a way to enjoy this time of year. Try cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or just brisk morning walks. Breath in the cold air and make the most of it. We're in this together.

This holiday season we are partnering with Awaken in Reno, NV to help stop sex trafficking. We are accepting donations now through mid december. Your donation will go directly towards purchasing requested items needed by the foundation. We appreciate you opening your heart and wallet for this incredible organization.

​About a year ago I decided to teach myself how to do something I really didn't want to do. Water color painting to me was always boring and frustrating. But, I wanted a better way to connect with place. A way to sit down, and absorb the moment and keep a little piece of my thoughts from an experience. Water color painting is light and portable, so it was the medium I adopted.

Throwing caution to the wind, here is a glimpse into my life over the past year through my written word, splashed with a few colors and pictures. It is not curated or edited. You may see my struggle with depression, diabetes, and relationship as the common thread throughout.

What I have written are my own words, there are a few lyrics sprinkled throughout that I did not write.

In elementary school it was gymnastics, then track in middle school. In high school it was volleyball, and freestyle snowboarding in college. At each phase I was sure they were my calling in life, my ticket to Success.

Then came real life. That year after I graduated when there was no easy direction to come by. I was almost freer than I wanted. I lost the comfort of having guidance and structure from school. This was when I first came to understand that success in life my not be determined by highly refined skill in one activity, but more at the ability to adapt and learn new skills. I may not become a master of any of them, but each will bring its own new and fun challenges and gang of friends.

It was tough at first not having something to train for, a competition to look forward to, or a coach to rely on. But realizing my weekends were free to explore where ever I wanted, I started to really feel alive. Mountain biking in Utah one weekend, climbing in Tahoe the next, hiking in the high Sierra on sunny afternoons... and still weaving my old life in when I wanted to. It actually made snowboarding, volleyball, gymnastics and running way more fun when they weren't chores anymore.

I have come to terms with knowing I'll never go pro, I'll never be the most skilled player on the field, or climber on the wall. But, being able to hop on to any field, make some new friends, and play a game you're really mediocre can be so much fun! Learning new skills, practicing old, finding joy in every new moment.

I have moved alot. But this trend of packing up and leaving did not start until after I graduated and moved to Burlington, Vermont for college. Once I flew from the nest I found it hard to settle down. No place really ever felt like home... because no place Was home. While they were different houses, all had the same empty white plastery walls, that weren't allowed to be painted, and were a constant reminder that I was not safely nestled in my real home. It was not until recently, when I resigned my year lease in Nevada, that I came to the realization that wherever I am has to Become a home- A place where I feel safe, comfortable, and at rest. Embrasing the white walls that surround me, and all of the beauty that is found in thier absence of color, will allow me to find more peace and sprout roots, even if temporary. I may move many more times before really settling down. But each move teaches me to embrace the cold egg shell walls and off set them with colors of spice and warmth. Now they are not just white walls, but and intergral part of my adobe-esk interior design.

Not a day goes by without my skin being lathered up with of some form of moisturizer, soap, or sunscreen. What we put on our skin not only effects our outward health, but also our internal systems and processes. The chemicals that make our soaps, deodorants, and body sprays smell so lovely are often skin irritants, developmental toxins, even neurotoxins. It seems crazy that shampoos meant to fight dandruff actually exacerbate the problem, or that many acne soaps use ingredients that over dry the skin and stimulate excess oil production leading to... you guessed it, more acne. When I finally became aware that many cosmetic companies are not out to help us, but out to make a profit, I started to get more and more frustrated when I would read ingredient labels and see commonly known irritants listed. So, a few years back I started really scrutinizing the ingredients lists on everything I buy with the help of Environmental Working Group's Skin Deepwebsite. They test thousands of chemicals and products and rate them on a safety scale based on their chemical make-up. What it seems to come down to, if you are looking for the safest way to take care of your skin, making your own beauty products can be a great method. Natural Beauty At Home by Janice Cox is a great recipe book to reference if you are just starting out. A good quote to keep in mind:

Don't put anything on your skin that you wouldn't put in your mouth.

Here are a few of my favorite premade products that i have used for a good deal of time and have had quite a bit of success with: Jason's Biotin shampoo and conditioners, Tom's Whole Care toothpaste and deoderant, Dr. Bronners peppermint castile soap, Vitamine E oil (for my hair and body), Badger Sun Screen, and for your face: Any thing from Origins! Origins is dedicated to making products free from Parabens, Phthalates, and harsh chemicals. Their products are a spendy in comparison to drug store cosmetics, but they Really work and they last a long time (my one bottle of modern friction i have had for way over a year). Try Modern Friction to exfoliate, Zero Oil Toner to help with blemishes, Dr Weil's Mega Bright Serum to correct skin tone, and VitaZing as your all around moisturizer/make up. This combo will leave your skin glowing and beautiful (that is, if you are also treating the inside of your body as well as the outside).

I have been working on a children's alphabet book to help teach a more bountiful vocabulary to wee tots. Here is the preliminary draft.

Willow knew playing outside always lead to AMAZING adventures. The sun shone like a BRILLIANT golden ball above her; It illuminated the grassy eathern quilt. The birds cherped in a CHARMING harmony from the branches in the big oak. The cool, fresh air felt DELIGHTFUL on her rosy cheeks. Willow giggled and waived her pals over to play. They peered between the blades of grass into an ENCHANTING little world. Ants marched, beetles scurried, and bumble bees wings fluttered at a FANTASTIC rate. This was the beginning of a GLORIOUS day. Sam and Lilly blew the snowy white seeds from a dandilion bunch. The seeds rose and circled them in a HEAVENLY flower blizzard. Willow looked to the sky just in time to see a plane whirling and twirling in INCREDIBLE patterns. What a JOYUS feeling flying must be she thought. She was a KEEN adventurer and she knew she would go on a plane someday. Ducking behind the clouds for mearly a minute the sun reappeared trickling a warm light on Willow's LOVELY world. It was MARVELOUS the way the clouds shifted into marshmellow creatures. Sam shared his view of a very round hippopotomus. With a "tick tick tick" the sprinklers shot on. Willow and her friends leaped up! Though the water was cold, it felt NICE on such a warm day. Not wanting the sprinklers to ruin their fun, Sam came up with an OUTSTANDING idea! A PERFECT idea for such a day as this! They ran back and forth through the sprinklers until at last the water pfizzled out. The three adventurers stoof soaked and muddy, smiling ear to ear. The three climbed up an old ladder into Willows QUAINT wooden tree fort. From there they had a REMARKABLE view of the neighborhood. Sam pointed out a STUPENDOUS garden growing just beyond a fence. Sunflowers of TERRIFIC highed towered out of the garden high above the dafodils and berry bushes below Far beyond the houses in their culdesac mountains of UNBELIEVABLE stature rose from the rolling hills. Willow hopped to one day climb them. A distant , VENERABLE old tree stood tall and straight with squirells and birds perched upon its highest branches. They peered up at the WONDERFUL webbed world of the little spiders in the crook of the cealing. Their unique homes as delicate as a glass thread. Lilly was curious about the circles on the stump she sat on. Willow remembered the circles represented the age of the tree. What an eXCELLENT way to tell ones age Pa brought them a YUMMY snack. They climbed down from the fort and sat on a big rock munching and sipping juice together. The day had passed so quickly. Willow waved goodbye to her friends at the end of a ZESTFUL day in their own back yard. She knew tomorrow would bring more fun and excitement!

Try as I might I still accumulate way too many belongings. I tried getting a reminder tattoo; It reads "the more they have, the more they want" in latin to help always remind me that happiness is not defined by what you own. This quote is ironcially true about tattoos too, but thats a whole nother story. Needless to say, this tattoo, while beautiful, does not actually help mimnimize very active participation in the global consumer economy. I even tried the ol' Only-own-as-many-jackets/shirts-as-I-have-hangers-for trick. Instead of owning fewer jackets/shirts I just ended up buying more hangers. I thought biting my finger nails was a tough habit to break. But, i successfully conquered that this fall after 25 years. So, i figured I'd turn my attention back to breaking the "stuff- consumption" habit.

This Thanksgiving I had a great opportunity to go stay with my Brother and Sister-in-law in Park City, Utah. Talk about a lesson in minimalism. They live in a tiny tumbleweed home (pictured left) that they built on wheels just over a year ago. Being only ~8 ft wide by ~18 ft long everything they own is multifunctional and fits poetically into their lives. They certainly have toys that do not fit into their home that reside just outside in a little shed- mountain bike, road bike, a few pairs of skis, but other than that it's all inside, all snuggled together.

While not owning a rolling pin around the holidays might be a pain to some, Val handed me an small empty wine bottle as a perfect substitute. We made an amazing vegan pumpkin pie just as easily and efficiently. There were many other times when I stopped to think about how clever they were, and how they made living with minimal belongings work.

When we went mountain biking some might think fitting 4 humans, 4 huge mountain bikes, and all of our gear into a Honda civic might be a serious challenge without a 4-bike rack. But, like pros, Stu and Val tied one bike to the roof, dismantled one bike and put it in the trunk, and used an old (fixed many times) Thule rack on the back for the last two. We did indeed look ridiculous, and it was a challenge in patience at times, but we made it to and from Corner Canyon trails with no problem.

When you are feeling overwhelmed with belongings, remember, it is okay to let go. Donate things that you haven't worn or used in a few months. Chances are, if it didn't look good on you or work the last time, it probably is equally as unflattering/un-useful today. But it might look Great on someone else and thats Okay. Not everything we own has ever, or will ever be the right thing for us, but it might make someone else Very happy. So, donate it or sell it!

You just never know when the world will find a way to give you something you never even knew you wanted. I have not owned a TV in years and I have not really missed it (thanks to Hulu and Netflix). But, recently a perfectly good LG-HDTV was left by the garbage at my housing complex. With a little fiddling of wires we were able to get it working perfectly for movies. -- thank you world! I didnt know i needed a giagantic TV in my life, but what a great find!